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Rhyne Howard Wins WNBA Rookie of the Year

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Atlanta Dream

Former Wildcat star, Rhyne Howard ends her record-breaking rookie season by being named WNBA Rookie of the Year, announced on Thursday as she received 53 of 56 votes.

After being selected No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft, Howard was tasked to be the star of the rebuilding Atlanta Dream team and she did not disappoint in her rookie season. Howard put up an impressive stat line for any WNBA player, let alone a rookie: 16.2 points (led all rookies, 11th in the WNBA), 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists (led all rookies), and 1.4 steals (led all rookies).

Not to mention, accomplished many other feats including:

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  • 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year 
  • 2022 Associated Press Rookie of the Year 
  • 2022 USA National Training Camp selection 
  • Swept the WNBA Rookie of the Month honors (May – August), to earn the most WNBA Rookie of the Month honors in Atlanta Dream history with four 
  • Invited to compete in the WNBA All-Star Game and 3-Point Contest 
  • Most three-pointers made (85) and attempted (248) in a rookie season in league history, and the most made and attempted by any Atlanta Dream player in franchise history 
  • Most points scored in a rookie season (552) in franchise history, making her the first Dream rookie to ever eclipse 500 points in one season 
  • Most 10+ point games (30), 15+ point games (20) and 20+ point games (11) of any rookie in Dream history 
  • Most defensive rebounds (127) in a season by any Dream rookie in franchise history 
  • Became the first rookie in league history to record four 3-point field goals and four blocks in their debut game 
  • Was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week and AP Player of the Week after her first week on the court in May, scoring the most points in a quarter by any rookie in the league against Indiana on May 15  

Despite missing the playoffs, Howard helped the Dream improve on their record, going from 8-24 last season to 14-22 this season.

Next season, Howard will look to build on an impressive rookie campaign and help the Dream reach the playoffs, in addition to being a star representative for the University of Kentucky.

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Rhyne Howard Honors Terrence Clarke in SLAM Magazine Feature

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SLAM Magazine/UK Athletics

Former Kentucky women’s basketball superstar and 2022 WNBA No. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard honored Terrence Clarke in her recent SLAM Magazine feature.

In the feature, Howard wears Terrence Clarke’s jersey. She also said, “I keep him alive when I play.”

Clarke, who tragically passed away in a car crash on April 22, 2021, played for the Kentucky men’s basketball team during the 2020-2021 season.

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This is not the first time Rhyne Howard has used her spotlight to honor Terrence Clarke. The night she was drafted, she wore a white, sparkly suit with a pin on it. The pin was a blue heart with a basketball and “TC5” on it.

Then, prior to finishing in the top three of the 2022 WNBA 3-Point Contest, she sported a blue varsity jacket with the same heart stitched on it.

Rhyne Howard and Terrence Clarke were as close as could be. Howard often refers to Clarke as her “little bro”.

The night Howard was drafted to the Atlanta Dream, she talked about how their connection began at UK:

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“As soon as he stepped on campus, we instantly clicked and ever since then, we were inseparable. Just us coming in and me being able to help him and just get him through his college years.”

Now, while Howard continues to dominate on the hardwood, she also continues to honor and pay tribute to her late best friend, Terrence Clarke.

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Kentucky Baseball Team Shows Support to Family and Teammates of 8-Year-Old Who Passed Away

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Family of Eli Hill

Earlier this week tragedy took place in Corbin (KY), as 8-year-old, Eli Hill, passed away playing basketball at his home. In a freak accident, the backboard of a basketball goal came off the pole and fell on him, succumbing to the injuries.

Following the tragedy, the community of Corbin has come together in remembrance of Eli and in support of his family and friends. On Wednesday, a vigil was held at the city’s rotary baseball park, which over a hundred people attended to honor Eli and show love for his family.

“He was a joy to be around, the amount of love, excitement. You know, the care that he had for others,” high school athlete Jacob Baker said.

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On Thursday, the Kentucky baseball team made the hour-and-a-half trip to Corbin to show support to the baseball team of Corbin primary, the baseball team which Eli played for.

In a time of tragedy, it is heartwarming to see people from around the state rally around the family and friends of young Eli, who made an impact on many and will be missed.

The Hill family has also warned others to be cautious of a fake GoFundMe making its way around social media.

Also published on a Sea of Blue.

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Kentucky Baseball on a Tear: Currently Holds the Longest Active Win Streak in the Country

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Grant Lee/UK Athletics

Despite their Opening Day loss to Elon on February 17th, the Kentucky baseball team has strung together a successful start to the season with a 19-2 overall record. As of March 21st, Kentucky is on a 15-game winning streak, the longest active win streak in all of D1 baseball.

The last time the Bat Cats lost was on February 25th to Wright State, dropping a single game of the three-game series. Since, they have beaten Morehead State, Murray State, Ohio, Indiana, and Eastern Kentucky and picked up three, three-game series sweeps over Indiana State, Southern Illinois, and SEC opponent Mississippi State.

Kentucky’s success has largely been due to its explosive offense. In the most recent weekend series, the Bat Cats outscored Mississippi State 35-11 over the course of three games. Of their 19 wins, Kentucky has scored 10+ runs six times, including a season-high 21 runs on Southern Illinois.

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In the most recent AP poll, Kentucky broke into the top-25 at #23. Their most recent win came on Tuesday, a 9-3 win over Eastern Kentucky. This weekend, they are heading to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama for another three-game series of conference play.

UK catcher, Devin Burkes, hits 2-run HR in bottom of 7th to take the lead over eku

The Cats will look to extend their win streak and maintain a level of play to get them back into the NCAA tournament. Kentucky has not made the tournament since Coach Nick Mingione’s first season in 2017.

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